by Kim Allred
One didn’t require much imagination to see how a young AJ could have thought this place magical—alone with her father. The two of them exploring the pools, the older man teaching AJ about history and antiquing. Ethan swallowed the small pang of regret at not having such a childhood. He didn’t live his life dwelling on the past like an old codger. His life was about the future. Curiosity abated, Ethan turned to the path to deal with the current situation.
He strode to the ship. This confrontation was a long time in the making, but he was wise enough not to board without the captain’s consent.
“Permission to come aboard.” Ethan looked the ship over. It was well cared for, but there were signs of slow aging and a long time at sea. The gunports appeared empty, but the light scarring of wood suggested they had been used at least once. He tried to remember a time when they would have been fired, but before he could muse on it any further, he felt the presence of the captain.
“Aye, it’s about time we met,” Finn said as he considered his visitor. “Permission granted.”
Ethan wasted no time boarding the ship, taking a long, hard look around the deck before resting his gaze on the captain. He could see why AJ would be intrigued. It wasn’t his looks. Although any woman would find this man pleasing, there was more to it. His pleasant manner, the casualness of his bearing masking the tight control, the slow, lazy grin, and his Irish brogue, all culminated in the engaging man before him and would make this man likable to either gender. But he hadn’t become a ship’s captain with his pleasantries.
While Ethan took stock of the captain, he could see the man was doing the same in return. The man’s gaze had never left Ethan since boarding. The slow assessment gave no indication to the bearer’s thoughts, and Ethan could picture the man at cards. Perhaps that was how he made his living. A con man. Yes, that description fit.
“The name is Finn Murphy,” the man said, but made no sign of shaking hands in greeting. “I believe you’ve been chasing me.”
Ethan mulled over the name, then gave his head a slight shake. “Not so much you as the item you seek.”
Finn gave a slight nod, and his smile disappeared. He put some distance between them, moving to the side of the ship, grabbing a line to rework the rigging. His fingers nimbly retied the rope through a deadeye bolt.
“The ship looks ready to sail. You must believe you’re close.” Shortening his long strides, he strolled around the deck, taking a closer look at the condition of the vessel. He couldn’t tell whether his statement was true or not. Finn probably always kept the ship ready for sail. But the man’s response confirmed Ethan’s impression.
“I believe in being prepared.” Finn finished working the lines, not looking at Ethan. “You didn’t tell me your name. Do I know you?”
Ethan came back around to where Finn worked, watching the man finish the rigging and move to the next deadeye, removing the line and rubbing tallow onto the bolt.
“I don’t think we’ve run in the same circles. I’m Ethan Hughes.”
Finn worked the lubricant into the deadeye. “No, the name doesn’t sound familiar. How is it we haven’t met before now?”
“We got close one time before, but trouble plagued us.”
Finn stopped his work to look out to the bay. “Ah yes, I remember now. That was you.”
Ethan looked away as well, not wanting to resurface the memory. “We must be getting closer.”
“Aye.” Finn brightened. “That must be it. It’s about time, don’t you think, that we put this all to rest?”
“Perhaps. Depending on who gets to it first. It sounds like you’ve engaged a man to aid in your search.”
“You know about that.” Finn set down the bucket of tallow, giving his full attention to the ropes.
“It only makes sense. I’ve done the same.” Ethan wanted Finn to know he was nipping at his heels, keeping the pressure on.
“I would have expected as much.”
“How do you know AJ?”
Finn stopped working, the rope dormant in his hands. The thumb of his right hand rubbed the rough edges. “What a small world it remains, after all this time.” The words almost escaped with the wind. “She’s doing a story about the ship. I assume you know she’s a writer.”
Ethan moved closer. He’d almost missed Finn’s first remark. “She did a story about the house I’m renting.”
“She’s an incredible woman. Intelligent. But like a bulldog. Never lets go of a mystery.”
Ethan laughed. “She is persistent.” He turned more somber. “I would hate for it to lead her into jeopardy.”
Finn returned to work, retying his last knot. “She seems more than a match for either of us.”
“Caution is in order. Neither of us will be here long.”
“I know how to treat a lady. Not that it’s any of your business.” Finn’s voice hardened. Dropping the rigging, he turned to face Ethan, the smile on his face not as pleasant as when Ethan had first arrived.
Ethan stared back. He wanted to press further, but this wasn’t the time. Still, he couldn’t resist one last shot. “I wasn’t sure, based on who you work for.”
He knew Finn had tracked his ascent to the top of the path. Ethan’s mood had turned dark. He’d finally met the man he had been so curious about. It had to happen at some point. In the end, it didn’t matter. He had no rational idea how to change the man’s mind about which side he was on. No, it was more a sizing up of his competition, and in that, he found he had a formidable foe. He would have expected as much.
But something else bothered him, more than any other time. This journey had already been long. He suspected it wouldn’t end by finding the artifact, and he was prepared for that.
What he hadn’t been ready for was AJ becoming entangled in it all. He had to find a way to extricate her from this dangerous road. She had to be kept away from Finn at all cost, or her life as she knew it could change forever.
The question was how the devil to do it. She couldn’t be told the truth. Ethan laughed. Who would believe it? No. There had to be another way.
After Ethan left, Finn closed the lid to the small bucket of tallow and carried it below. He grabbed a glass and a tall bottle filled with a soft tawny essence, falling into the closest chair. He poured himself two fingers of Jameson, the finest of Irish whiskeys, and let the fire move its way down his throat. A gentle warmth rolled through him, and he closed his eyes. He hadn’t thought he would ever meet him, the man in the shadows. Even never having met him, there had been some comfort knowing he was there, just out of sight, a fellow traveler alone in a strange land. And now, they were so close.
A flash of soft brown curls disrupted Finn’s daydreaming. He remembered AJ’s spark as she asked her questions, ready to drink in his answers, and rather than be satiated, his responses urged her on to more inquiries. This Ethan was right. Their search had become too complicated, and through it all, AJ had unknowingly found herself a bodyguard.
He took another swallow and let it seep deeper. Ethan’s last words still troubled him. He hadn’t been able to respond because, at the heart of it, he couldn’t argue the point. This was not the first time he questioned his path. But it was a waste of time, and undoubtedly a waste of good whiskey. He fooled himself each time a new possibility erased the storm clouds, as if he had a choice.
Putting the bottle and glass away, Finn grabbed the bucket of tallow and returned to the deck.
30
AJ knocked on the age-scarred door, surprised by how solid it was. It seemed to swallow the sound of her rapping knuckles, and she wasn’t sure anyone would hear her banging. She was glad for the large overhang protecting the front porch. Spring had shaken her mighty sword, and the rain had been pounding for the last few hours. She searched for a chime, but the door opened before she could find one.
“Good morning. It’s lucky for you I was walking by the entrance. I would never have thought to look for you at my front door.” Ethan held the door open for
her. “I’m glad I didn’t have to worry about you climbing in this weather.”
AJ removed her raincoat, trying to keep it from spattering the floor, and hung it on the proffered coat rack. “I didn’t mean to bring the weather in with me. I hope I’m not intruding so early in the morning.”
She followed Ethan through the short maze that led to the kitchen, surprised by the changes since her last visit. The walls, still needing a new coat of paint, had been freshly washed, the draperies cleaned and pressed, the windows buffed to a shine, although some were now rain-streaked. Ethan had created a sparse bachelor house, and she was curious how it would look when finished. “You’ve done some work. The place is coming along.”
Ethan poured two large mugs of coffee and directed AJ to the small kitchen table. “Furniture here and there, some cleaning. My biggest adventure has been with the lights. I’m fascinated by the new selections. It’s like bringing sunshine into the house, even on mornings like this.”
“The magic of LED.” AJ smiled at Ethan’s slide into domesticity, another side of this man she hadn’t expected. “I’m sorry to drop in. I climbed yesterday, but you didn’t seem to be home.”
“I had an early appointment. The view would have been better yesterday.” Ethan pointed toward the picture window, and the backyard beyond, the ocean masked by the piercing spring storm.
“Some days it’s not so bad watching nature take its course. But it’s so isolating.”
“Isolation can be some people’s comfort.”
“Or their first step into madness.”
Ethan laughed. “Your articles are making a cynic out of you.”
AJ laughed in return. “I suppose they are.” She fiddled with the napkin and brushed her hair behind her ears. “So, what have you been up to?”
Ethan paused before answering. AJ hadn’t meant to pry. She had come to see Ethan as an old friend, even though they hadn’t known each other long. Now here they were, coffee buddies, swapping their daily activities like she did with Stella.
“I’m afraid I’ve been a slug since our outing to Chilton. You seem to have found time to get some sun.”
AJ bent her head to sip the coffee, hoping to hide her surprise at the question. “I’ve been working on my next article. It’s been keeping me outside. I’ve been lucky with good weather.”
“That’s right. The Westcliffe, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.” She wasn’t sure if she should mention the ship, but why not? He’d eventually see it in the paper. “I’ve expanded it some.”
“How so?”
“There’s an old sailing vessel moored at its dock. It would make a nice companion article, something to mix it up.”
“The vessel is part of the inn? That’s strange, with it being empty for so long—if I remember your discussion with Stella correctly.”
AJ squirmed. She hadn’t wanted to get into the details. “I’m not sure they’re connected. It appears the captain happened to find the bay and, like you, seems to like his privacy.”
Ethan refilled their mugs. “Well, I’m not your brother, but I can’t help but hope you’re being careful with all the new men dropping into your life. You never know about strangers these days.”
AJ found it interesting he lumped himself into the group. “I think I’m a fairly good judge of character. I haven’t been misguided in my assessment of you.”
Ethan’s eyes opened wide in mock hurt. “Good God, I hope not. But I did have a character reference from your brother.”
“Not exactly my standard of reassurance.”
“There you go, being tough on him again.” Ethan held up his hands to stop AJ’s retort. “I know, there’s history that’s not of my concern. The point is, Adam had already performed some due diligence for our working relationship. It’s different from someone who happens to appear one day.”
A shudder slid through her at Ethan’s choice of words, at her memory of the ship, and how she had discovered it through the fog.
“Are you chilled? I can get you a wrap.”
“No. I’m good. You’re always looking out for me. I do appreciate it, but I’m okay. The captain has been elusive in sharing information on his ship, but he seems safe enough. Do you remember Stella and me mentioning a Mr. Jackson?”
“Yes, I think so. He’s a caretaker or something?”
“Right. He takes care of the inn. He’s been in Baywood his whole life, and he’s been helping this Mr. Murphy—that’s the captain—so it’s pretty safe.” AJ resisted another shudder, remembering her dip in the ocean and the strong arms that held her from falling in.
“So what’s he doing in Baywood?”
Damn. He was becoming a better investigative reporter than she was. He seemed to know all the right questions she had no answers for. She took a long sip of coffee, staring out at the darkness, hard to believe it was morning. “I don’t know. He hasn’t said.”
“I see.”
Two simple words. They said it all. And once again, Ethan amazed her with his ability to get straight to the crux of the matter. “How dangerous can it be? He’s sailing around on an eighteenth-century ship. It kind of sticks out.” She tried to keep her response light, not wanting to sound defensive, but looking at Ethan’s face, she hadn’t come close to selling it.
“Look. I’m in security. I can’t help but be cautious and point concerns out to you. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I feel protective. I can’t explain it. You need to be wary of someone who can’t tell you what he does or why he’s here.”
“I get it.” AJ touched his hand. “I appreciate the concern. I promise to be careful. One more interview is all I need.” She tried a shaky laugh. “I’m not writing a book, just an article. I don’t need much more.”
Ethan touched her hand in return, a gesture so fleeting, it left AJ positive she had imagined it.
31
“I hear you have another article ready to go.”
Samuel’s words made AJ jump. She had been so focused on her writing, trying to guess what story Finn had to share, that she hadn’t heard his footsteps behind her.
“Sorry.” Samuel laughed. “Didn’t mean to spook you. I wanted to touch base. You’ve been in early and back late these days. I never get to see my star reporter.”
AJ smirked. “Star reporter for bringing in some historical series.”
“The key word there is series. And this historical stuff about the city, the readers eat this shit up.” Samuel patted AJ on her shoulder and leaned over to read the screen. “So this one is about a ship? Is this something docked at the marina?”
“No, it’s currently docked at the Westcliffe.”
“Hmm. That’s your second article right, the old inn. And this ship is there. What’s the connection?”
“I guess there isn’t one. I mean, I thought there might be one, but it doesn’t seem to be panning out.” Adam’s interest in the Westcliffe, while surprising, still didn’t connect any dots to Finn or the ship. “The story about the ship seems interesting enough, and since it’s right there by Westcliffe, it could work.”
Samuel rubbed his hands together. “This is perfect. It’s a nice break in the lineup of buildings. You’ll need to find something similar we can slip in between the next two buildings you work on. Do you have the next ones picked out?”
AJ didn’t. Her whole focus had been on Westcliffe and the Daphne Marie, and, if she was honest with herself, the captain. “Still picking through them.” She hated lying to Samuel, but the small fibs were becoming habitual. She had some time— these two articles would run over the course of two weeks. Plenty of time. “I wanted to get this last one nailed down first.”
“Sure, sure,” Samuel said. “Just don’t lose your momentum. You’ve got a great thing going for us here.” He turned to leave and said, “Uh-oh. Wasn’t he here a few days ago?”
AJ turned, a smile on her face, expecting to see Ethan, even though she had seen him earlier. The smile disappeared, and s
he groaned. Adam. “Yes.”
“I’ve seen more of him here in a week than, well, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him here before.”
“You haven’t. I’m sure this won’t take long.”
“Oh, I don’t care about that, just a surprise is all.” Samuel headed back to his office, nodding to Adam as they passed each other in the aisle.
Adam’s run-in with Stella at the government offices flashed through her mind again. This might be the time to ask him about Westcliffe—but she sensed something different about him. His suit was a rich dark gray, perfectly tailored and fresh from the cleaners. His shirt was lightly starched, his tie always a perfect match for the suit, his shoes polished. She had to give Madelyn credit, she always kept Adam looking the part. It wasn’t Adam—if left on his own, he would live in Dockers and Tommy Hilfiger.
Then AJ saw it. Adam looked tired. No, more than tired—simply exhausted. He carried a sunken look his polished corporate suit couldn’t hide, and she could only remember seeing him look this drained one other time. Shortly after her birth, their youngest child, Charlotte, had picked up a viral infection, forcing a few days in the hospital. Madelyn and Adam had both run themselves into the ground caring for their first two while taking turns at the hospital with Charlotte. Adam had looked strung out from little sleep and too much stress—like now. If she didn’t know Adam better, she would be more concerned. But her mom would have called if this was a family problem. This had to be something else.
“You’re becoming a regular visitor,” AJ said.
Adam’s laugh sounded forced. “Yeah, give me a desk.” He strolled around the room, refusing to look at AJ. He seemed to take in the layout of the office, turning this way and that, seemingly interested in the place for the first time. He hadn’t bothered with his first visit, but now it seemed to take his entire focus.
He wanted something. Adam didn’t show his discomfort like most people. He hid it by becoming all lawyerly and feigning interest in things around him. Rarely did Adam have interest in anything other than his immediate universe of career and home.